


The Color of the Sky

by myblueworld



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, I am crying tears of joy and happiness for the two of them, M/M, Villa is the protective dad-friend, Villa wants to makes ure that nobody hurts Silvita, but No James would never hurt him, but since it's for my OTP, scenes that will make me roll my eyes if I read it on romance books (which I don't read by the way), some typical sappy romantic scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 08:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myblueworld/pseuds/myblueworld
Summary: David didn't want to be alone. That's why he bought engagement rings for Sergio. Even though he knew that his world would still be a monochrome one.James didn't think he needed colors in his life. Until someone walked into the store and returned a pair of rings.





	The Color of the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Universe, where you could not see colors until you find your soulmate.

* * *

 

“Excuse me?”

James lifted his head up from the report that he was reading and swiftly made his way to the new customer.

“Yes, Sir? How may I help you today?”

The man in front of James returned his smile with a thin one. He fished something out of his pocket and put it on the glass surface of the display counter.

James let out a small gasp when he saw the box.

“What’s your return policy for engagement rings?”

James looked up. There was nothing but a nonchalant expression on the guy’s face. James’ eyes darted again to the box before looking back at him.

“We have a 30-day return policy for rings.” He cleared his throat. “Do you still have the receipt with you?” he asked, studying his face into the most professional expression.

The man nodded as he took out his wallet from his back pocket. James’ eyes caught a glimpse of a picture inside the wallet as the man opened it. A picture of the man himself, next to another man. The other man was smiling at the camera, his hand resting comfortably on the man’s shoulder.

The man pulled out a folded paper from the wallet and gave it to James.

James took the paper and unfolded it. He knew the drill. Three years working at the store has made him know by heart what the procedures were.

 

(His eyes lingered for a beat too long at the name of the customer.)

( _David Silva._ )

 

“So, Mr. Silva,” James said. He wondered whether he had to say that he was sorry about this.

 

(He chose not to.)

 

“Since you bought this ring two weeks ago, you can get a full refund,” James said. “There are some forms that you will need to fill in. Let me get them for you.”

He quickly walked to the large desk on the back area, where they keep the forms. He took out the folder that he needed. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Jordan looked at the folder in his hand. He flashed a glance David, who was waiting for James patiently. He is bowing his head down, studying rows and rows of rings being displayed.

“Pity.” Jordan shook his head. “He looks like a good lad.”

James nodded and sighed. “It’s a cruel world that we live in,” he said, almost bitterly. “A world where bad things happen to good people.”

He walked back to where David was standing. He explained the form to David, who listened to him with his eyes fixed on the form. Sometimes he nodded at James’ words, making him have to brush away some hair from falling over his eyes.

James gave David the pen that he was holding. David took it, and silently wrote on the spaces that he needed to fill in. James’ eyes flicked to David’s lips, as he bit his lower lip when he signed the form.

James looked away to the side.

His heartbeat doubled.

 

(Maybe he shouldn’t have drunk that cup of coffee.)

 

David carefully slide back the form over the glass surface to James.

“Here,” he said.

“Thank you, Sir.”

His eyes skimmed the form, making sure that all the necessary field were filled in. He looked back at David.

“You’re all set, Sir.”

David gave him another thin, polite smile.

“Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

“Have a good day, Sir.”

David already turned away from James, about to walk away.

“And Sir?”

David stopped. He turned around to face James again. He looked at James questioningly.

James cleared his throat.

“I… I am sorry that it didn’t work out.”

For a second, James could see how David got tense. But then his lips curled up into another thin smile. This time, it looked even more hollow.

James stared into his eyes. He wondered whether those eyes were in the same color of a dark and cold winter night.

“It’s… It’s okay,” he said, shrugging his shoulder. “He found his soulmate. And I don’t.”

His last words resounded as a haunting echo on James’ mind as he watched David’s back walking away. James stood still, watching David walked out from the store, and then dissolved into the crowd on the busy street.

 

*******

**_10 days earlier_ **

 

_David was pulling in his driveway when his phone went off. Sergio’s picture flashed on the screen. Picking up the phone, David pressed the phone to his ear as he opened the car and get off it._

_“Hey, Kun,”_

_“David!”_

_“How was the meeting?”_

_“It was…” Sergio stopped. “It was…” he stopped again._

_David frowned a little as he unlocked the door of his house. There was something unusual about Sergio’s voice. He sounded excited, giddy, and nervous at the same time._

_“Kun?”_

_“David, listen…”_

_“Uh huh?” David hummed as he absently put down his bag on the couch. He made his way to the bedroom._

_“About the dinner tonight?”_

_‘Yeah?” David sat on his bed as he’s loosening his tie._

_“Can we… like…change the day?”_

_“Sure,” David said as he opened the drawer of his nightstand. He took of a small box from there._

_The guy that helped him last week told him that the box was blue._ _David could only feel that the velvet was soft against his fingertip._

_He looked at the box, feeling a little giddy to think about what he has planned._

_“We can change the reservation,” he said. “What is it, Kun? Something comes up?”_

_At the back of his mind, he thought that maybe postponing it was a good thing after all. He could rehearse more on the words that he was going to say._

_“Uhm. Yeah. Kind of…” Sergio stopped for a second. “So… So… This new client? The one that I met in the meeting today?”_

_“Yeah? What’s with him?”_

_“So.. We… He introduced himself… and then we… we shook hands…”_

_“Uh huh?” David hummed. He made a mental note to call the restaurant after this about changing the reservation._

_Sergio sighed._

_“David?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“It’s almost sunset now.”_

_David turned his head to look at the window. It was getting dark. The gray shades of the sky were now closer to black._

_“The sky…it’s beautiful…”_

_David’s stomach lurched down._

_“Kun?”_

_“It’s… It’s not just… those dull dark gray, David. It’s… No, it’s not blue. It’s… red and orange and this… bright orange and yellow? Gold? Is that the color?”_

_The words stumbled from Sergio didn’t mean anything to David. Those were just words that they were forced to learn since they were in school._

_(The sky was blue._

_The grass and trees were green._

_Flowers were colourful. Some roses were red, some others were yellow._

_Those words were meaningless back then. Those words were still meaningless for him now.)_

_David tightened his grip on the phone._

_“Kun?”_

_Sergio started talking. Telling David about this new client._

_(“Leo. His name is Leo, David.”)_

_He told David how he felt sparks on his skin when he and Leo shook hands, and suddenly nothing was just black and white anymore. How those shades of gray were actually different colors that make everything was brighter and more beautiful that what they could have ever imagined._

_Ten minutes later, after promised Sergio that he would change the reservation and this time it’s for three people instead of two (“I want you to meet him, David. I want you to meet my_ soulmate _”), David placed his phone on the nightstand._

_He stood up, and walked to the window._

_Outside, the sky was black. But David knew that tomorrow, that black sky would change into gray. Dark shades at first, that gradually changed into lighter shades until it became so bright, almost as bright as the white clouds. And then it would start change back into darker shades again before it finally became black all over again._

_(The sky was blue._

_That was what they told David when he was in school._

_David wondered whether he would ever see the sky as blue.)_

 

 

*******

The coffee shop was not the one that James usually visited. But James liked it, though.

It was Joe who brought him here first.

He still remembered it. The first time he came here with Joe. When Joe told him about how he could finally see the color of his own skin.

 

( _“I am so pale, Milly! I guess I am one of those typical white lad,” he laughed brightly and it made James wonder whether laughter also had color._ )

 

James’ world was a monochrome one but he could see how Joe’s eyes were twinkling brighter than usual. He remembered how Joe’s eyes were still twinkling but also soft as his smile when he talked about the one who made his world burst into colors.

 

_(“And her eyes… Her eyes are this… this shade of dark brown but so…so warm and her hair was this beautiful gold color? Or is it honey? It’s… what they call blonde?”)_

 

This was also the café where Joe showed him the ring he bought for Kim.

 _The ring_.

The thought of engagement rings reminded James about the guy who walked in to the store two days ago, returning a set of engagement rings.

 

(James wondered whether he already asked the question before decided to return the ring.)

 

“Here’s your coffee, Sir.”

He looked up to smile and say his thank you to the guy placing his cup in front of him.

The man returned his smile and nodded. As he walked back to the counter, James looked out to the window. It’s not that late yet, but the sky was already heavy with gray clouds, ready to pour down some rain.

The first drops of rain started falling on the window. James touched the glass, feeling the cold surface on his fingertip.

He kept looking at the window, watching the rain started pouring down. The sound of raindrop calmed him, and he didn’t look away from the window when the bell above the door rang cheerfully.

Until he heard the owner of the coffee shop greeted whoever it was that just came in.

“Silva! Is it the rain that brings you here?”

_Silva_

Isn't it the name that he read on the receipt two days ago?

James’ head snapped up to look at the counter, finding David standing in front of the counter, grinning at the guy behind it.

“Hello, Villa,” he said. “It’s been a while. How are you?”

“I’m good! Patricia has been asking about you. And Luca keeps on asking me when will Tío David play with him again.”

James watched as the two people exchange greetings.

“So, the usual?”

“Yes, please.”

David made a 90-degree turn on his heels from the counter. He was about to walk over to the row of tables when his eyes meet James’.

His eyebrows shoot up.

The next second, he seemed to recognize James, as a small smile curled up on his lips.

James let out his breathe.

 

(He didn’t even realize he’s been holding it.)

 

His heartbeat doubled as David walked to the table he was sitting at.

 

(He really should cut his consumption on coffee and go back to tea. He’s a proper English lad anyway, even though he’s in New York now.)

 

“Hey,” David said when he stopped next to James’ table. “You’re… the guy from the…store, right?”

The smile on David’s lips was a small, tentative one.

But it was still a smile. And it’s a beautiful smile on a beautiful face.

James already smiled before he realized it.

“Mr. Silva,” he said, nodding his head politely.

David let out a small laugh. “Oh, just call me David,” he said. “Villa over there,” he said, gesturing to the guy behind the counter with his chin. “He called me Silva just because we share the same first name.”

“Oh,” James said, glancing at the counter. Villa waved a little at him with a smile.

“Okay, _David_.”

“And you are…?”

“James.”

Silence.

 

(James wished he could think of something to say)

 

“Can I… sit here?”

James nodded, almost too excitedly than what he would ever admit.

“Sure,” he said. He smiled as David slide in to sit on the chair across of him.

He brought his cup to his lips, and took a sip.

His coffee tasted sweeter than before.

 

(That must be it. The coffee. That must be the reason why suddenly something warm seeping in his vein.)

 

*******

Villa’s coffee shop had been one of David’s favorite place ever since the first time he found it. It offered the vibe that made him felt that home is not that far away, even though he was still stuck here in New York City. He hung out there for lots of time. So it wasn’t exactly something uncommon for David to go there in two consecutive days. He had been a regular anyway for almost three years.

But this time, as he walked closer to La Casa Roja, there was another feeling inside of him. Somethng that he vaguely, and hesitantly, recognized as hope and expectation.

He tried to push away that stupid feeling aside as he pulled the door open and walked in to the coffee shop.

Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from turning his head to the row of tables by the window.

James was there. Sitting at the same table as yesterday. James looked up from his cup, and his eyes met David’s gaze.

 

(At the back of his mind, a small voice squealed in delight. David ignored it)

 

David waved at him, almost awkwardly. James nodded, and even through the distance between them, David could see his smile.

“Hello, Silva!”

Villa’s voice made him turned his head to the counter.

Villa smiling at him. His head was tilted a little to the left as he asked. “The usual?”

“Yes, please.”

Villa gave him a thumb up, and started preparing David’s drink.

David walked to the table where James was sitting.

“Hey,” he said, stopping right next to the table. “You’re here. Again.”

_(I’m happy that you’re here.)_

 

There was a small smile on James’ lips as he nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m here. Again.”

 

 *******  

It was easy to talk to James.

David didn’t even know how on Earth he had started talking about how much he hated it when The Eleventh Doctor was replaced by the shit. How did their conversation take a turn from just the usual work and daily life into a discussion about possibility of other life forms on the galaxy, David had no idea.

But he liked it.

James himself did not talk that much. He didn’t talk as much as Sergio.

But he listened. He listened like he really was interested to what David wanted to say.

His smiles were not as wide as Sergio’s.

But his, are calming. Comforting.

David looked down at his cup. His second cup.

And he almost surprised to find that he already finished it too.

“It’s getting late,” James said.

David followed his gaze, looking at the window. The black sky is the dark background for the neon light.

“Yeah,” David said. “The sky is totally black already.”

“But it’s going to be blue again tomorrow.”

David felt like someone just kicked him on the chest.

“Really?”

“Yes,” James said, then slowly turned his head away from the window, and looked at David. There was a small smile on his lips, and David didn’t understand it. The meant of James’ smile. That soft look in his eyes.

“That’s what they told me,” James said. “They said that the sky is blue.”

David shouldn’t feel relieved about it.

 

(His chest felt much lighter than before)

 

“That’s what they told me too,” David said, holding his eyes at James’.

James’ lips curled up a little bit higher. His eyes looked a bit brighter.

For a moment, David wondered what were the color of James’ eyes.

He didn’t know. He probably would never know.

 

(He thought that those eyes must have had a beautiful color. Whatever the color was.)

 

“Good night, Silva! Bye, James!” Villa waved at them from behind the counter. David and James returned the farewell greeting, and walked out the door.

“So,” James said as they both standing on the pavement. “Well… It was… Nice…” he said, turning his head to look at David.

“Uh. Yeah,” David said, nervously smiled back at James.

His heartbeat started racing like crazy.

_Thump thump thump._

He couldn’t do this. He shouldn’t do this. It was barely two weeks ago he had his heart broken. He was not ready for this.

 

(What was _this_ , anyway?)

 

“It’s… It’s getting late,” David said, sliding his hands into his pocket, rolling them into fists to hold them from trembling.

He should say goodbye now. He should say goodbye and walked back to where he parked his car.

“Yeah,” James said. “I… I should…I.. I better go now,”

A pang of disappointment hit David.

“Me too,” David said, looking down at the tip of his shoes. He looked up again, and stretched his lips into a stiff smile.

“Goodbye, James.”

There. He said it. Was not that difficult, huh?

 

(It wasn’t difficult. But it’s sort of hurt)

 

David made a 180-degree turn on his heels, and started walking. But he wasn’t even three steps away yet when he heard James called him.

“David?”

David quickly turned around. Under the neon light, there was an unfamiliar shade of bright gray on James’ face.

David wondered whether that shade was the color of cherry. Villa once told him that when people were blushing, their cheeks turned into the same color of cherry. Sometimes brighter, sometimes darker.

“Do you…” James paused, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Want to go out? Sometimes?”

The look of uncertainty on James’ face was unfamiliar.

 

(David found it to be endearing)

 

“I don’t know,” James said, shrugging his shoulders. “Dinner? Or… Well...Anything?”

David should say no. He knew that he was standing at the border of a thin, fragile line. He could not risk crossing the line and let himself fall again.

He smiled at James.

“Dinner sounds nice.”

 

 

*******

“He was scared of being alone.”

James lifted his head up from the book that he was reading. Villa, who just placed his cup in front of him, was now looking at him weirdly. Like he was thinking whether he could trust James enough to tell him about something.

James blinked.

“Excuse me?” he asked carefully.

He wasn’t sure what Villa meant. To be honest, he wasn’t really sure what Villa thought of him. It’s been a little more than two months since the first time James and David met in this coffee shop. Somewhere between the second and third week, it’s like it had become an unspoken agreement between them, that they would meet here in the coffee shop every Friday, after work.

And following that, Villa had become a little bit more than just a barista slash the owner of the coffee shop. He wasn’t close enough yet to be someone that James would comfortably put into the category of a good friend. But he was friendly enough with James that he would sometimes sit with David and James to join their conversation.

“Silva,” Villa said as he placed the tray that he was holding. He sat on the still empty chair in front of James. “He was scared of being alone.”

“Oh,” James said. He couldn’t think of a more intelligent response to that information. He didn’t even know what that meant.

“That’s why he decided to propose to Sergio. Even though he himself was not even sure whether he loved him. Even though he knew for sure that Sergio is not his soulmate.”

“Oh.”

Sergio.

_Kun._

The name sometime slipped in between their conversation. And every time the name came up, there would be that hollow look on David’s eyes. Every time the name fell off David’s lips, James thought about a picture that he once saw inside David’s wallet.

 

(He wondered whether David still kept the picture there.)

 

Silence for a while. James staring at his cup. He could feel Villa’s piercing eyes on him.

“Don’t hurt him.”

James quickly snapped his head up.

“I…” he said, his chest moving up and down rapidly as he stared back at Villa. “I.. I won’t…”

He returned Villa’s eyes, and shook his head.

“I don’t want him to get hurt.”

He might not be that close to Villa yet. But it wasn’t that hard to see how protective Villa was to David. And David always had that soft look of adoration when he looked at Villa.

James knew that David had no older brother, and he wondered whether Villa was the one David found fitting that role for him.

“Then don’t hurt him.”

“Why would I?”

Villa bit his lower lip, but his eyes never fell off rom James’.

“I don’t know why. But please, don’t. At this point, you could be the one who hurt him. At this point, you're the one who had the most power to hurt him. But…just… Don’t.”

James shook his head again.

“I wouldn’t. I would never.”

He didn’t need Villa to tell him not to hurt David.

He didn’t need _anyone_ to tell him not to hurt David.

The familiar cheerful ring of the bell above the door made both of them looked at the door. David, his hair as messy as usual, walked in and turned his neck to their table.

A smile quickly took over his face.

“James! Hey!”

James waved at him, didn’t realize that he was already smiling too.

Villa looked back at James.

“Promise me. Don’t hurt him.”

“What are you guys talking about?” David asked, already standing by the table. There was a hint of amusement in his smile.

Villa turned his head to look up at David.

It’s almost ridiculous, how that so-close-to-deathly-glare that Villa just had a second ago broke into a grin as he stood up, and ruffled David’s hair.

“Nothing important, Silvita,” he said. “Should I get you the usual or you’re up for something else today?”

James vaguely heard David saying something at Villa, but his brain barely registered it.

He could only think of what Villa told him.

_He was scared of being alone._

 

*******

It was Friday night. James took him to a new restaurant last Wednesday, but David found that the food that they claimed to be Spanish food there was an insult. So they met at La Casa Roja, then David drove them to his house, where he cooked dinner for the two of them.

He needed to show James how the real seafood paella supposed to taste.

Now, full with dinner and exhausted with the day, they both slumped down on the couch in the living room. The TV was showing a rerun episode of Cutthroat Kitchen.

This wasn’t the first time for James to come over for dinner. The first time he came, each of them sat at the opposite end of the couch, leaving an appropriate distance of personal space between them. Three weeks and four visits later, they were now sitting side by side on the couch, shoulders brushing each other.

“Thanks for the dinner,” James said.

David angled his neck a little and gave James a lopsided smile. “You’re welcome. It’s always nice having someone to have dinner together with.”

James chuckled.

“You just don’t want to be the only one praising your own cooking.”

“I deserve it!”

James laughed, and ruffled David’s hair.

They have their eyes back at the TV. Throwing comments at the show and laughed at the ridiculous yet hilarious sabotage.

“What color do you think those steaks are?”

James shrugged at David’s question. “I don’t know. But it would be different on the inside, right? They said when it’s rare it will be pink on the inside. And if it’s well done, then it will be…I don’t know… brown? Something like that?”

David scrunched his nose. “Do you think the food will taste better? If we can see the colors?”

James pondered at this question. “You see the colors with eyes, and you taste the food with your tongue. Do you think it will affect each other, though?”

David tried to think about it, but then gave up. “Oh, well. As long as they are edible, I guess I don’t mind.”

James laughed again.

David liked it. James’ laughter. And James had been laughing more often lately. Five months after their first encounter at the coffee shop, and the more he heard James’ laughter, seeing James smiled, the more David realized how he had been happier than before.

 

(It’s almost terrifying)

 

On the screen, Alton Brown was offering a sabotage where the contestant could force their opponent to use a hammock as their working station.

“James?”

“Hm?”

“Have you ever been scared? Of being alone?”

For a while, James didn’t say anything.

David could hear his own heartbeat in between the bidding for the sabotage on the TV.

“I guess it’s not being alone that I am scared of,” James finally said. He sighed.

David turned his head to look at him. But James still had his eyes on the TV screen.

“Really?”

This time, James angled his neck, meeting David’s questioning eyes. The soft smile on James lips make David strangely breathless for a second.

“It’s not being alone that I am scared of. It’s being lonely that I am scared of.”

David looked down, absently looking at his hands.

“I just don’t want to be alone,” he whispered.

James nudged his shoulder with his. David glanced at him.

“It’s okay,” James said, voice as soft as a lullaby. “We can be alone together,”

James took David’s hand, and held it. David’s eyes fall to their hands, where their fingers interlacing together. David looked up at James, and felt his face heating up.

James' smile was soft and comforting. Like soft afternoon sunrays seeping in from a thin curtain.

“Okay,” David said. He thought that he should have said something else. Something more.

“Okay,” he said again. He looked back at the TV screen, but this time he rested his head against James’ chest.

James kept on holding his hand throughout the night.

 

*******

James was laying on his bed. His head on his crossed arms, he stared at the ceiling. In the dark, images of David reeling on in his mind.

_I just don’t want to be alone._

Even just the thought of what David has said a few hours ago felt too loud in his mind.

_Do you think the food will taste better? If we can see the colors?_

James didn’t think he needed colors in his life.

Things could still work even if they were not in colors.

Things could still function properly even if they were in black and white.

But lately he started to wonder what were the colors of David’s eyes.

He remembered when he held David’s hand, the gray shade of David’s fingers between his was not very much darker than his.

He wondered whether the contrast of their skin would be much different in their real colors.

James sighed.

_They always say that the sky was blue._

It’s not that he never wanted to see it.

He wanted to be the one to make David see that the sky was blue.

*******

It was a warm afternoon on late Spring. James was sitting cross-legged on the picnic blanket, David’s head on his lap. They have put aside the remaining of their lunch (which was not much anyway) into the bag. David was telling James one of his childhood memories back in Gran Canaria, while James gently ran his fingers through David’s hair.

“We should go there for vacation. On summer.”

James smiled. The thought of going for a vacation together with David made him feel a bit lightheaded.

“Are you going to take me to the beach?”

“James, are you kidding me? The beaches are the best ones! That’s the first place where I’ll drag you to once we are there.”

James hummed, kept on stroking David’s hair. David closed his eyes, and James silently watched the darker spots that scattered over David’s face.

“James?”

“Hm?”

David opened his eyes, staring at him.

“Do you think the sky there is different from here? The sky in Spain?”

James bit his lower lip. “Maybe. They always say that they sky is blue. But maybe, the sky there is brighter than here.”

“Brighter than where you come from?”

James chuckled. “We also have some sunny days in England, you know.”

“Yeah, of course you do. For like… 3 days in a year?”

James laughed.

The sunrays were warm and the Spring breeze was soft against his skin. David was grinning at him on his lap, and everything was so perfect.

Maybe in the dictionary, next to the definition of happiness was the picture of him and David together like this, on a Saturday afternoon at Fort Tryon Park.

“Do you think you will ever see that the sky is really blue?”

James’ hand froze.

It took him two full seconds before he could answer David.

“I… don’t know…”

David sighed. “I don’t know either,” he said.

James bit his lower lip again. His heart was in his throat.

“You might never see it, you know…” James said, almost impressed by how his voice was steadier than he would expect. “You might never see it if…you… if…we…”

His voice faltered.

 

( _You might never see colors if we keep on doing what we’re doing._

_You might never meet your soulmate if you’re still with me._

_Your world might always be a monochrome one, if we’re still together like this._ )

 

David smiled at him and James almost, almost cried because what did he even do to deserve someone so beautiful, so perfect like David.

David took his hand, held it and put it on his chest, where his heart was.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I don’t care.”

He squeezed James’ hand. “The sky could be in any color, but I only wanted to see the sky with you.”

James felt like he could burst into fireworks any moment.

He brought David’s hand to his lips, and kissed his knuckles.

*******

 

David looked up to the sky, right when the first drops of rain started falling down. David made a small groaning noise.

Next to him, James laughed. He tugged David’s hand that he was holding.

“I’ve told you to bring your umbrella.”

David scrunched his nose a little.

“Sometimes I got too optimistic about the weather,” he mumbled, and let James lead him walking faster.

David glanced at James, who still had a soft smile on his lips as he held David’s hand, trying to slip between hundreds other people in Times Square. James' hand in his felt so real.

David tugged James’ hand, making the two of them stop.

“Hey, James?”

A man with an umbrella bumped on David’s side and mumbled something.

James turned his head and look at David.

Villa once told David that James’ eyes were green. Like the leaves and the grass.

 

(David thought that green would be his favorite color, then.)

 

“David?”

David’s heart was beating, dancing in his ribcage.

He smiled.

“I think I love you,” he said.

James’ lip parted and David wanted to laugh and cry and dance even though the rain started falling harder.

“I’m falling for you, James.”

 _Fast and hard and deep_. _So please catch me_.

“I’m in love with you, James.”

James dropped David’s hand, but in a split second his hand was now cupping David’s cheek as he kissed David, and his arm around David’s waist, pulling him closer.

David wrapped his arms around James neck and kissed him back and rain kept on falling on them. The rain was cold but James was holding him close and he’s so warm like August sun and like the fireplace on winter nights.

James tasted like marshmallow on hot chocolate in cold December evenings, like the calming sound of raindrops on the rooftop while he’s curling up on his bed in a warm blanket.

James pulled back just a bit. The tip of his nose was still brushing David’s and he was half-panting, his damp breath was warm against the skin above David’s lips.

“I love you too, David,” he whispered. “I love you too.”

David was smiling and he leaned forward to catch James’ lips with his own and they kissed again. They kissed in the middle of Times Square and people were walking around them and maybe some of them were staring at them and whispering to each other but David could not even care less because right now there were only him and James and they were floating in this bubble of their own perfect little galaxy.

Barely six months ago he met James to return the rings he bought for someone else.

And now here he was, kissing someone he knew for sure was the one that he loved.

They were kissing and no, there wasn't any blast of colorful firework exploding, and their world stay in monochrome but it’s alright.

With James, black and white and all the gray shades between them were beautiful.

With James, black and white and everything in between were their colors of love.

 

*******

“Hey, James!”

James looked up from the monthly report that he was checking to Jordan.

“There’s a call for you.”

“Oh? From which branch?”

Jordan shook his head and James’ brow knitted in confusion. He only got phone calls at work from other branches of the store. His friends usually just texted or called him on his cell phone.

Jordan shrugged his shoulders. “He said his name is Villa?”

James’ stomach lurched down as he hastily stood up.

Half-running, he made his way to the desk where the phone was.

“Hello?”

“James?”

James recognized Villa’s voice. “Yeah. What’s up, Villa?”

“James… It’s… It’s Silva.”

Icy cold feeling shot from his feet throughout his body as he tightened his grip on the phone.

“Wh--.. What…”

“Silva was crossing the street and there was this…“

James stopped breathing.

 

*******

Everything was a blur. Him shouting at Jordan that he had to go. Rushing off from the store. Getting on the first cab that he could have.

And now here he was, half-running on the hospital corridor.

The smell of strong disinfectant mixed up with background noise of people talking and murmuring as he made his way through the corridor.

The corridor was too long and his heartbeat doubled as seconds ticked in. But he finally saw Villa standing in front of one of the door.

James stopped.

“How... Is he… Please tell me…” James could not make himself finish a sentence.

Villa looked tired but then he smiled at James.

“He’s okay. A mild concussion, a few stitches and he would need to use a crutch for two or three weeks. But other than, he’ll be alright.”

James covered his face with both hands and he could feel that he was at the verge of crying now. It’s like the stones that were filling his chest with fears and worries just dissipated into warm light air.

“God… Oh.. Thank God…” he said with trembling voice. He rubbed his face with his hands.

“Can I see him?”

Villa nodded and his smile was a bit wider than before. He stepped aside to make way to James.

“The nurses just took his vitals and he was sleeping but yeah, I think you can see him now.”

James pulled the door open, and slowly made his way into the room.

David was not a tall guy and he tended to be on the thin side, but he looked even more fragile now, laying on the hospital bed with his eyes closed.

James sat on the chair next to bed, and carefully held David’s hand.

David didn’t move. His eyes stayed closed.

But his hand felt warm on James’ hand and James could not think of anything else that could make him feel more relieved than the fact that David would be alright.

James gently brushed away some hair from David’s forehead. He leaned forward to kiss his temple, and let his lips stay there for a while. He could feel his tears were slowly rolling down his cheeks, and he gently squeezed David’s hand in his.

James pulled back. He watched David’s eyes slightly moved behind his eyelids, before they’re slowly opened.

David slowly blinked a few times, like he was trying to reorient himself, trying to get his sight back in focus.

After a while, he carefully angled his head a bit, so he could stare back at James.

“Hey,” James said, smiling with relief.

David smiled back at him. A small, weak smile on his pale face.

 

(It’s still one of the most beautiful views that James has ever seen)

 

“James?” David whispered.

“Don’t go,” James whispered. “Don’t go away from me.”

David moved his head a little, trying to shake his head.

“I won’t.”

“I don’t want to lose you.”

David carefully pulled his hand away from James, and lifted it to touch James’ cheek. His hand was trembling as he slowly traced the trail of tears left on James’ cheek with his thumb.

“I don’t want to lose you either.”

Then his eyes flicked from James to something behind James.

The next second, his eyes got wide, like he was surprised with something that he just saw.

There were some small creases between James’ forehead as he watched how David looked dazed by something.

“David?”

David’s eyes returned back to James, and there was a thin layer of tears in his eyes, like the mist covering a glass window.

“James… the window…”

James cocked his head. “The window?”

“Look at the window…”

James turned around, looking at the window behind him. He could see the sky outside. It’s barely two hours past noon and there were some scattered white cloud.

Then James gasped.

The sky…it wasn’t in a light shade of gray like he used to see. It’s this…bright beautiful color, stretched so wide and the white clouds looked like a pretty contrast of its color.

The sky was blue.

It’s _blue_.

He could _see_ it now.

“Is it blue?”

David’s trembling voice made James look back at him. He slowly ran his hand over David’s face, and David closed his eyes. Where his skin touched David’s the color change from gray into a warm color, with some darker spots here and there.

It’s beyond beautiful.

David opened his eyes, and his eyes were no longer that dark shade of gray, it’s a darker shade of his skin color but warmer and James could see the light in those eyes that made James think of glowing charcoal in the fireplace.

James choked backed a sob.

David reached out and slowly ran his hand over James’ face, like what James had just done. James closed his eyes, feeling David’s fingertips against his skin.

He opened his eyes, finding David was smiling at him with his lips and his beautiful charcoal eyes.

“Your eyes,” David whispered. “Villa once said they were green.”

James tried not to cry but tears started to form again at the corners of his eyes.

“Are they?”

David’s fingertip was now tracing James lips.

“I think so,” David said. “They are…bright and beautiful and…”

He stopped, and let out a small laugh.

“Yeah. I think they’re green.”

James held David’s hand and watched as colors started seeping in everywhere, colors that James didn’t know their names yet but heck, he could see them now. _They_ could see them now and it’s all that mattered.

David’s eyes moved away from James back to the window.

“They say that the sky is blue,” he whispered.

James looked out to the window and watched the beautiful color.

“Yes,” James said. He looked back at David and brought David’s hand to kiss his wrist.

“The sky is blue. _Our_ sky is blue now.”

  

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I wrote this one as I was struggling not to fall into another relapse. So I do apologize for the quality.  
> 2\. But heck, I will go down and sink with this ship.


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